Martin Truex Jr IS the 2017 NASCAR Cup Champ!

The two Juniors are good buddies. Dale Jr gave Martin Truex Jr an opportunity to race in NASCAR, and there’s not doubt, that Truex is grateful for that. For a few decades, my wife has been one of Martin Truex Jr’s loyal fans. Even during the lean years, when Truex wasn’t winning many NASCAR races, my wife stuck with her driver, and kept saying that, he would be a champ. Truex won a few NASCAR Busch Series titles, driving in Dale Earnhardt Jr race cars. Truex went into the NASCAR Cup Series, driving for (what was) Dale Earnhardt Incorporated, and then drove for (what was) Michael Waltrip Racing. Now, Truex and his team, are the only team that is not based in North Carolina/Virginia, as the 78 team is based out of Denver, Colorado. It’s been a challenging year for that team, too. Truex’s girlfriend, Sherry Pollex, has been battling cancer, Crew Chief Cole Pearn’s best friend died during the season, the team chassis builder had a heart attack and died on a night before a race & team owner, Barney Visser, had successful by-pass surgery a few weeks before Truex won the 2017 season’s final race, and the championship. It was an amazing season for the 78 Furniture Row/Denver Mattress team! 8 wins. The championship! What’s crazy, is the team originally had their race car shop in one of their water bed stores in Denver. If my memory is serving me correctly, many years ago, I recall seeing Martin Truex Jr at Grady’s Smokehouse BBQ in Shreveport, and I believe that it was Shreveport racer, and race car builder, Robby Pate, sharing BBQ at that table. A friend told me that Truex, like many other avid hunters, came down to the Sportsman Paradise, to hunt. Truex credits Dale Earnhardt Jr for the opportunity to race in NASCAR, when Truex won those 2 NASCAR Busch Series titles. On the Tom’sMaHaul motorhome door are the 88 and 78 stickers. 88 Dale Jr’s last season, as he devotes time to his wife with a baby on the way, and then will do TV sports. 78 Truex Jr will be back to defend his NASCAR Cup Championship next season.